Bitcoin this, Bitcoin that

If I could have an old-fashioned American nickel for every time I heard the word “Bitcoin” in the past month, I could probably buy, well, a Bitcoin. That’s right, the price of Bitcoin skyrocketed in 2013, and while the boat was rocked a few times, most recently when China said it would “ban” Bitcoin (lol), it’s continuing to hover just under $900, which is pure insanity, given that a kid from my middle school hacking club was trying to convince me to join him in mining Bitcoins 3 years ago.

You realize where I would be if I had followed his lead, right? That’s right, not writing posts on Ajax World, but maybe enjoying a jacuzzi in a nice Ajax Penthouse. That kid has since dropped out of school, by the way, and is helping some hot shots on Wall Street develop a Bitcoin payment processing app.

What do I make of all this? If you listen to my Dad, nothing. He is an old-school believer in traditional economics and believes the Bitcoin bubble will burst and leave everyone who “plays” with it without a penny. My views aren’t quite as radical, but I do believe there is risk in putting your money in Bitcoins. Not that I have any disposable cash to invest anyway, but I wouldn’t buy Bitcoins if I did. The mining boat also seems to have sailed, so I guess the only thing we can do with Bitcoin is remain observers… and watch it either take over the world or burst like a soap bubble.